Mail Order Bride - Westward Secrets: A Clean Cowboy Romance Novel (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 13) by Linda Bridey Page B

get her coat so she could join the kids outside.
                  She went out the sunroom door and saw that they were in the paddock riding with Emily.  Lacey was giving them lessons.  As she ran to the paddock, Ryan and Chloe waved at her.
                  “Mommy!  Look at us,” Chloe said with a big smile.
                  Ryan waved and turned the little Shetland pony in her direction.  “Look what I can do,” he said.
                  Gina clapped her hands.  “Look at my little cowboy and cowgirl,” she said.  “Thank you for teaching them, Lacey.”
                  “I’m enjoying it.  Emily is just as helpful teaching them as I am,” Lacey said.  “I have a horse for you, too.”
                  Gina gave her a startled look.  “What?  Oh, no.  I don’t want to ride.”
                  “Gina, if you’re going to live around here, you have to ride or at least drive.  If there’s no one around to take you, you’re going to have to take yourself and the kids,” Lacey said.
                  Gina gulped and looked back at the children who trotted after Emily as they circled the paddock.  The thought of riding such a big animal scared her to death.  She’d never had any contact with horses outside of sitting behind one as she was driven somewhere.
                  Lacey said, “Stay here.  I’ll go get your horse.”
                  She watched Lacey walk away and once again envied her that she was up around so soon after having a baby.  Turning back to the paddock, she saw Emily stop her pony to give Ryan some kind of instruction.  She marveled that a six-year-old girl knew more about riding a horse than she did.  Of course, it only made sense given what her parents did for a living. 
    Joe and an Indian rode two horses up the lane and stopped at the top of it.  Suddenly they took off at a gallop and thundered away down the main road.  She watched them disappear and wondered what the hurry was.
    Lacey came back leading a small bay gelding.  “This is Brutus.  He’s very tame and responsive.  He’s a good horse for you to learn on.”
    “I don’t know about this,” Gina said.
    “Just pet him for a few minutes so that you get used to him,” Lacey said.
    Gina reached out a tentative hand and stroked Brutus’ neck.  His hair was soft and sleek.  Gina soon forgot her fear as Lacey showed her how to feed him pieces of carrot and a couple of sugar cubes.
    “See?  Nothing to be afraid of,” Lacey said.  “Now we’ll get you up in the saddle.”
    “Oh, boy.  Ok.  I guess there’s no time like the present,” Gina said.
    “Nope.” 
    Lacey taught Gina how to mount and dismount and had her do it several times.  Then she led Brutus into the paddock and walked beside him as she got Gina accustomed to the movements a horse made.  Gina adjusted to the swaying motion and started watching the kids as they rode close together. 
    Suddenly Gina realized that Lacey wasn’t leading the horse anymore.  The other woman had slipped through the railing at some point and watched from there.
    “Lacey, what are you doing?” she said.
    “You were doing just fine on your own,” Lacey said.
    Then Lacey started instructing her on how to turn the horse where she wanted him to go.  At one point, Lacey opened the gate.
    “Emily, will you take Ryan and Chloe to the barn?  I think they’ve had enough for their first lesson.  I don’t want them to get saddle sore.”
    “Ok, Mama.  C’mon with me,” Emily said and rode out of the paddock.
    The other two kids rode after her to the barn.  Lacey closed the gate again and said, “Ok, we’re gonna start getting used to trotting.”
    Joe and the Indian returned on their horses, galloping down the lane.  Joe’s horse was ahead by a length.  Joe let out a victory shout as they pulled up near the barn.  He jumped off